Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon proposed her 2022-23 budget on Friday at the State of the City Address, according to a press release by the city. The proposed net budget is approximately $434.1 million. Of that, the General Fund – which is the city’s main operating fund – is $275.6 million.
Mayor Kincannon’s budget “prioritizes protecting the high quality of City core services, enhancing public safety, and allocating new funding for affordable housing, roads, parks and stormwater infrastructure,” the press release notes.
The four highlighted topics of the proposed budget include:
- Maximizing Public Safety
- Enhancing Healthy and Connected Neighborhoods
- Building a Clean and Resilient Future
- Supporting Thriving Businesses and Creating Good Jobs
Mayor Kincannon also proposed investing more than $16 million in new funding to retain the city’s employees, as well as to hire new talent to fill roughly 140 staff vacancies – 100 of those in the police and public service departments alone, according to the press release. About 80 percent of the new revenue will go to employee compensation – including a new minimum wage of $15 an hour for all City workers, the press release notes.
“I have heard your requests for more police officers on our streets,” the mayor told attendees at her State of the City Address on Friday. “I have heard your requests for higher quality roads and sidewalks, for more greenways, and top-notch parks in all neighborhoods. And I’ve heard your requests for more affordable housing.”
To pay for the adjustments to the city’s pay scale, and to keep up with rising costs for materials due to inflation, Mayor Kincannon is thus proposing a 50-cent increase in the city property tax rate to $2.96 per $100 of assessed value, the press release further notes.
Mayor Kincannon’s proposed budget will be presented for first reading at City Council on May 3rd, 2022, followed by legislative budget hearings and public hearings on May 12th-13th. Council’s second reading of the budget is scheduled for May 17th.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Indya Kincannon” by City of Knoxville. Background Photo “Knoxville Skyline” by Bohao Zhao. CC BY 3.0.
